Chapter Ninety-Two: The Sword Sect’s Calamity

“Heaven means to destroy me. Heaven means to destroy me!” After a long silence, Mei Yunqi threw both hands to the sky and let out a cry of despair that tore through the night. “Why? I have labored diligently all my life, never contending with others—have I truly not even earned the right to live in this world? Why? Heaven, you are unjust…”

Lin Feng and the others wore looks of sympathy, yet none dared step forward to comfort him and fan the fury of an immortal cultivator gone astray. Who would dare bear that?

“The Three Immortals Restorative Pill is not refined like that. If you want to defy heaven by human effort, you still need the right time and place. Even leaving aside the question of an auspicious hour, plum blossoms belong to the icy principle, ice submits to water, and water and fire are incompatible. It is only natural that such a low-grade immortal elixir would blow up the furnace…” said Li Chi.

Lin Feng cried out in astonishment, but Li Jianren, standing beside him, did not notice his strange expression. In a low voice, he said, “Junior Brother Lin, let’s withdraw. Master may be going mad.”

“Wait. I’ll go take a look.” Lin Feng leaped up and slowly walked toward Mei Yunqi. When he reached him, he saw that half of Mei Yunqi’s black hair had turned white, while he stood there with vacant eyes.

Twenty years of painstaking effort destroyed in a single night. Such a blow was not the most terrible part. What was truly dreadful was that in only three more years, the day of his heavenly tribulation would arrive. With so little time, there was no way to prepare. He could only wait for death.

“Master…” Lin Feng called softly.

Mei Yunqi opened his mouth, then gave a faint wave of his hand. “Go on. Leave…”

“Master, don’t ruin your health over this. Our Hundred Flowers Sect may not have those celestial herbs, but we do have plenty of medicinal pills. When I return to the mountain, I’ll try to beg a few for you…”

“Forget it. With your heart in this, what more can old Mei ask for…” Mei Yunqi forced out a bleak smile. “Go. Old Mei has lived for over a thousand years—he’s almost become a demon already. I just cannot understand why it failed. I cannot understand…”

Though the Hundred Flowers Sect’s alchemy was excellent, it did not necessarily possess every heavenly material and spiritual medicine.

“This…” Lin Feng hesitated, but still ventured a guess at the cause. “Could it have something to do with the location and season? Right now the winter snows have just passed, and plum blossoms are blooming all through the valley…”

“The location and season…” Mei Yunqi’s expression suddenly changed. He slapped his own forehead hard. “Ah! Damn it! Why did I not think of that? Yes, yes, I was too eager for success. I cannot blame anyone else, cannot blame anyone else…”

He muttered to himself, now regretful and now excited. Only after calming down did he remember Lin Feng. With a sigh, he said, “What is your name? To have such insight—you are no ordinary man, no ordinary man at all.”

Lin Feng’s face flushed with heat. He hurriedly said, “I was only making a reckless guess. This disciple is Lin Feng. Master has finally remembered to ask my name.”

Mei Yunqi laughed heartily. “Good. Old Mei will remember you. In the future, when you have time, the two of you may come here to find me again. The three of us master and disciples can drink together and talk of old times. Let us part here today. Old Mei still has matters to attend to.”

“All right, Master, please take care of yourself.” Seeing that Mei Yunqi had regained his spirit, Lin Feng felt much more at ease. He pulled Li Jianren over, and the two bowed to their elder before riding their swords through the air and departing.

Watching the direction in which the two vanished, a determined light appeared in Mei Yunqi’s eyes.

“Junior Brother, when we go back, we must pretend that we only just met. Clearing my elder brother’s name depends entirely on you.” Li Jianren stood upon his flying sword, continuously orienting himself as he raced toward Orchid Pavilion Town in the east.

“Senior Brother Li, rest assured. Since you and I are family, I certainly won’t help that outsider—” Lin Feng said with a smile.

“That’s good. Junior Brother, look there—that is Orchid Pavilion Town.” Li Jianren pointed toward a small town blazing with lights in the distance, his face brightening.

Under the night sky, the town glittered like a cluster of stars. In midair, many released sky lanterns floated upward like beautiful fireflies, slowly rising into the dark heavens. Within the town, every household hung lanterns and festive decorations; red lantern light filled the streets.

“Senior Brother Li, is this… a holiday?” Lin Feng asked in surprise.

Li Jianren chuckled. “Yes. Tomorrow is the Midwinter Festival. After the festival, the six sects will hold a sword gathering in town.”

“In town?” Lin Feng said in astonishment. “Aren’t you afraid of disturbing the townspeople here?”

“Ha ha.” Li Jianren laughed loudly. “Look at Orchid Pavilion Town. There are no shops for miles in any direction; it lies deep in the mountains. Who would live here? Everyone in this town is a cultivator from our six sects. Come with me.”

Li Jianren drove his sword straight down and came to a steady stop before a large manor at the eastern edge of town.

Lin Feng hurried after him, stepping into this unfamiliar town in the darkness of night.

“Senior Brother, you’ve finally returned. Uncle Master is in a terrible temper.” At the gate, a young swordsman rushed to meet them, his face full of anxiety.

“Ah, so that’s how it is. It must have been those fools from the Mount Li Sword Sect who filed the complaint. Heh heh. Come, Brother Lin. Everything depends on you.” Li Jianren looked utterly confident as he patted his junior brother’s shoulder. “Junior Brother Tian, I’ll treat you to drinks tomorrow. Once I win a ranking, I’ll treat you again.”

“Thank you, Senior Brother.” The junior swordsman smiled faintly. “Uncle Master is in the west courtyard. You should hurry and see him.”

Putting on an act, Jianren cupped his hands. “Brother Lin, please.”

“Brother Li, after you.” Lin Feng smiled.

The two entered the courtyard, went around the garden hung with red lanterns, and reached the west courtyard. Only then did Li Jianren cup his hands again and say, “Brother Lin, wait here while I report to Uncle Master and—”

“You beast! You still dare come back!” A furious roar suddenly came from inside the room. Both wooden doors flew open, and a middle-aged man in black stepped out one stride at a time. Wherever his feet landed, the floorboards cracked with sharp pops. His long hair billowed wildly, and the rage in his eyes seemed ready to burst forth.

“Uncle Wan…” Li Jianren suddenly realized that something was wrong. Even when he had been caught in the act of brawling and fighting before, Wan Xueyuan had never been this furious.

“You beast! You killed Cao Xiong of the Mount Li Sword Sect and severely injured Zhao Xuguang and Gu Lingfeng. You still dare come back? Bold of you! Today, I, Wan Xueyuan, will purge the sect on behalf of my senior brother!”

A flash of sword light streaked out as Wan Xueyuan lunged in for the kill. Li Jianren, stunned by the news, stared blankly as a streak of white brilliance shot straight at his chest. His limbs turned ice-cold, and he froze, helpless.

Bang!

That white light struck the puppet bronze man. The sound was like a great cauldron being smashed. The bronze figure, nearly seven feet tall, was pierced clean through by the sword beam. Li Jianren, who had not yet managed to escape from behind it, was sent flying at once, grunting as he crashed into the courtyard wall.

Crack, crack!

After being struck, the puppet bronze man slowly split open from the middle and was destroyed by a single sword strike.

“Senior, please wait!” Lin Feng saw Wan Xueyuan pause slightly and hurriedly shouted an explanation. “I have been with Brother Li the entire time and never saw him harm anyone. Could there be some mistake?”

“A mistake? He killed and injured people, and there are two witnesses to prove it. How could there be a mistake? And who are you?” Wan Xueyuan looked at Lin Feng and said coldly, “This is my Chishan Sword Sect’s internal matter. It is not for outsiders to interfere. Leave at once!”

“Senior, are you sure you have not made a mistake? You cut my bronze man to pieces—do you intend to pretend that debt never existed?” Lin Feng said with a smile. “I will certainly stand by Brother Li in this matter. Whether he killed or not, heaven and justice will decide. It is not something anyone can settle with a few careless words.”

“Yes, Uncle Master. If you kill me without sorting right from wrong, be careful of falling into their trap.” Li Jianren coughed up blood, but had no intention of fleeing.

Wan Xueyuan fixed his eyes on Lin Feng. After a long moment, he said coldly, “Who exactly are you?”

“I am a disciple of the Hundred Flowers Sect, Lin Feng.”

At those words, Wan Xueyuan could not help but feel a sudden jolt in his heart. After a brief silence, he said in a stern voice, “You two, come inside with me and speak.”

Given the Hundred Flowers Sect’s standing in the world of cultivation, the Chishan Sword Sect could not afford to offend it. Though Wan Xueyuan was severe by nature, he still knew how to weigh the seriousness of things.

But just then, a cold laugh sounded from outside the courtyard. Immediately after, a black shadow drifted in and landed lightly within the Chishan Sword Sect’s separate residence.

“Junior Brother Wan, are you planning to favor your own people? The disciple who caused trouble is right before your eyes. Why have you not dealt with him?” The newcomer wore a yellow robe embroidered with a hundred birds, with a silk ribbon of fine brocade on his head. His features were cold, his figure tall and slender. A golden sword hung at his waist, and his steps were exceedingly light.

Wan Xueyuan’s expression changed. Yet in a flash of inspiration, he forced out a smile. “Nie Wuchen, it has been years since we last met, and your cultivation has advanced quite a bit. Congratulations. I wonder which other senior brothers from the Mount Li Sword Sect have come to attend this gathering? I should certainly have a few drinks with you all.”

“Ha ha, Junior Brother Wan, do you still recognize Yuan Jie?”

Another figure rode a sword through the sky, treating the gate of the Chishan Sword Sect’s manor as though it were nothing at all.